Cardiovascular disease is resulted by long-term addition of multiple combined dangerous factors, such as smoking, a rise in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), abdominal obesity, decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high triglyceridemia, hypertension, type II diabetes, and the like. These multiple dangerous factors of cardiovascular disease are closely related to abnormal mode of life, such as unhealthy excessive diet, too little sports and smoking. Recent studies have proofed that endocannabinoid EC system is related to the multiple dangerous factors of cardiovascular disease.
Endocannabinoid EC system is a physiological system in body. It acts on nervous centralis and peripheral tissue and plays a role in regulating body weight, affecting glycolipid metabolism and smoking habituation.
Endocannabinoid EC is an endoagonist of its receptor, it produces on cell membrane based on demand, its metabolism changes rapidly, and usually exerts only at the location where endocannabinoid EC produces. The stimulation of obesity and nicotine causes excessive activation of endocannabinoid EC system, leading to appetite excitation and smoking dependence in nucleus accumbens, promoting increase in intake of food, causing smoking habitation. The stimulation of obesity and nicotine also leads to fatty accumulation in peripheral fatty tissue, and thereby initiating resistance to insulin, damage of carbohydrate tolerance, decrease in adiponectin and high density lipoprotein, and increase of triglyceride.
Studies show that selective cannabinoid CBI receptor antagonists (J. Med. Chem., 2002, 45, 2708-2719) can remarkably reduce body weight and fatty accumulation, improve insulin sensitivity, result in normal blood sugar on an empty stomach, improve lipid, and increase level of adiponectin.